Filtering apparatus.



H. E. KIER.

FILTERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16. 1910 Patented May 21, 1912.

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H. B. KIER.

FILTERING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AUG.16.1910.

Patented May 21, 1912.

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HARRY E. KIER, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO.

FILTERING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented May 21, 1912.

Application filed August 16, 1910. Serial No. 577,407.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY E. Klan, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Colorado Springs, in thecounty of El Paso and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Filtering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.-

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in vacuum filters and more particularly in the class of machinery used in the treatment of metalliferous ores by the cyanide process, for separating the solvent which bears the values in solution, from the worthless solids with which it is associated.

The object of my invention is to expeditiously effect a clean separation of the goldbearing solution from the solids, by the provision of an endless series of filter-units which, in practice, are moved through a tank containing the wash-water. Each of these units is during the greater part of its movement, in connection with a vacuum pump which draws the fluid constituents of the quantity of pulp carried by said unit, into a suitable receptacle, and when the unit reaches the discharge point of the machine, it is temporarily connected with a compression pump for the purpose of removing the "cake of solid residue, remaining after all liquid matter has been drawn from the pulp. constructed to allow the pulp fed thereinto through a launder, or other suitable conveying device, to flow from one into the other, whereby the feeding process may be carried on continuously without loss of time or material.

An embodiment of my invention has been shown in the accompanying drawings in the various views of which like parts are similarly designated and in which,

Figure 1, represents a sectional elevation of the apparatus, Fig. 2, a sectional end-view of the same, Fig. 3, a plan view of one of the units comprised in the endless series, Fig. 4, a section taken along the line 44 Fig. 3, drawn to an enlarged scale, Fig. 5, a central section through the valve by means of which the units are connected with the suction and compression apparatus and, Figs. (Land 7 sections taken'alon the line 5-4) Fig. 5, respectively looking in the direction of the arrows 6 and 7.

Referring to the drawings by numerical The units are furthermore.

reference characters, the numeral 2 designates a frame work which is erected at opposite sides of a tank 3 which, in practice, contains the wash water. Three parallel rotatory shafts 4, 5 and 6, two of which are mounted at the upper portion of the structure 2, and one near the bottom of the tank 2, are arranged at the corners of an imaginary inverted isosceles triangle, the base of .which, extends horizontally above the upper edge of the tank. Each of the shafts carries a pair of sprocket wheels 7, which are engaged by two continuous chains 8, between which the filter-units are arranged in an endless series. Each of these units comprises a shallow tray which is composed of a preferably rectangular frame 9, the inclined sides of which are formed at their lower edges, with inwardly directed flanges -10 for the support of a filtering element 12, the construction of which will now be described. The element above referred to comprises a bottom-member 13 which may be composed of metal or of non-porous cloth or other flexible material and which is di rectly supported upon the flanges 10 and upon slats 14 placed transversely upon the latter.

A cover-member 15 made of porous clot-h or other suitable filtering material is secured upon the bottom plate 13, by fastening means applied along their edges and along parallel lines a. which extending longitudinally from one of the ends of the two members, terminate along a line spaced from their opposite ends, so as to provide a plurality of pockets 16 which eommunicate with a space 17 which, in the following description, will be termed the suctionchamber of the filtering element. Each of the pockets 16 is occupied by a filler 18, which is plano-convex in cross-section and which is formed in its upper, convex, sur-.

face with a plurality of longitudinal grooves 18 to provide channels through which liquid drawn through the filtering cover 15, may flow to the suction chamber 17. Each of the frames 9, is furthermore provided along the upper edge of one of its sides with an outwardly extending lip 19 which when the various units are assembled on the two chains, projects over the adjoining edge of the next succeeding unit to prevent the pulp which is continuously conveyed to the umts at the upper ortion of the apparatus through an incline launthe wash water contained in the tank, which obviously would interfere with the operation of the apparatus. The various trays may be attached to the two chains between which they are disposed, by links or 'by any suitable means which permits their movement around the sprocket wheels 7 and which, not being part of my invention, have neither been shown nordescribed in detail.

The suction chambers 17 of the various units comprised in the endless series, are independently connected by means of flexible tubes 23, with the rotatory member 21 of a valve 22, the stationary, cylindrical housing 24 of which is rigidly secured to the frame, at a point above the tank 3 and axially in a vertical plane with the lower-' most shaft 6. The housing 24- which is open at one of its ends, has at its opposite end, an outwardly projecting hub 25 for the support of a shaft 26 at whose extremity the above mentioned member-21 is rigidly secured. The member 21 which is rotatably fitted within the housing, is provided with a plurality of transverse bores 27 which are equidistantly arranged in a circle concentric with its periphery, and which in number, are equal to the units comprised in the series, with which they are respec ti'vely connected by means of the above mentioned flexible tubes 23. The stationary member 24 of the valve has in its interior face, two ports 28 and 29 the former of 'which extends through the greater part of a circle, coincident with that of the bores 27 while the other is disposed in the same circle in between the terminal points of the longer port. -The ports 28 and 29 are provided with openings 28 and 29 by means of which they are connected respectively with a suction pump and a compression pump or analogous contrivances which have not been shown in the drawings. One of the shafts at the upper portion of the frame, is provided with two gear wheels 30, which mesh with pinions 31 on a driving shaft 32 which is rotatably mounted on the frame, and which carries a pulley 33 for the usual purpose. The shaft 5, is furthermore provided with a sprocket Wheel 34- which operatively connects with a corresponding wheel 35 on the valve shaft 26 by means of a chain 36, and these sprockets are proportioned so that the endless series of filter units and the valve will move in unison to continuously maintain the former in the position they occupy relative to the respective bores in the rotary valve member 24:.

Having thus described the mechanical construction of my improved filtering apparatus, its operation will be readily understood. The endless series of filter units moving slowly in the direction of the arrow, Fig. l. is supplied with the pulp which cont-inuously flows through the launder 20, and from one unit into the other. The units are during their movement toward and through the tank 8, connected with the suction pump which draws the solution through the filtering bottoms of the units, while the solids are held in the upper portions thereof by the vacuum continuously maintained in the'conduits 23 until the respective 'inits emerge from the wash water, when they are brought in communication with the sup ply of compressed, fluid which ejects the cakes. During the movement of the units through the tank 3, the wash water is, by reason of the vacuum maintained in the conduits 23, continuously drawn through the cakes contained in the upper portions of the units, and greatly aids in thoroughly separating all the auriferous matter from the worthless constituents of the cakes, and this operation is continued until the units emerge from the tank, when they are brought in connection with the compression pump and the cakes are forcibly removed therefrom by the air emitted through the interstices of the porous cover 15. The cakes discharged from the units fall upon an inclined platform 37 secured at the upper edge of the tank 3. After the cakes have been discharged from the units, the orifices of the bores 27 in the moving valvemember which connect with the respective tubes 23, are again brought in connection with the long port 28 of the stationary valve member 24 and the operation is repeated.

Having thus described my invention, what it claim and desire to secure by Letters- Patent is 1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a tank, an endless series of filtering units mounted to travel along an angular course over and through said tank, suction means for exhausting liquid from said units, while moving toward and through said tank, and a launder disposed to supply material to be treated to the same while moving over said tank.

2. An apparatus of the class described 7 comprising a tank, an endless seriesfof filterthe same, means to supply material 'to be treated to said units while moving over said tank, suction means for exhausting liquid fromsaid units, and means adapted to bring the latter in communication with said suction-means during the greater part of their travel and to temporarily discontinue said communication after the units emerge from said tank.

3. An. apparatus of the class described comprising a tank, an endless series of filtering units mounted to move along an angular course, over and through the same, a launder to supply material to be treated. to said units while moving over the tank, a suction device for exhausting liquid from said units, a rotary valve connecting said device with each of said units, and a mechanism for moving said series and said valve in unison.

4. An apparatus of the class described comprising a tank, an endless series of filtering units mounted to move along an angular course, over and through the same, a launder to supply material to be treated to said units While moving over the tank, a suction device for exhausting liquid from said units, a supply of air under compression, a rotary valve connected wit-h said suction device and with said air supply, flexible conduits between the said valve and the several units, and a mechanism for moving said series and said valve in unison, the latter being constructed to connect each unit with the suction device while moving to and through the tank, and with the supply after emer ing from the fluid contained in the samef 5. An apparatus of the class describ (1 comprising a tank, an endless series of filtering units mounted to travel over and through the same, means for exhausting 1i uid from the said units while moving over an through said tank and means for supplying material to the said units while moving over the tank.

6. An apparatus of the class described comprising a tank, an endless series of filtering units mounted to travel over and through the same, means for exhausting liquid from the said tank, means for ejecting the contents thereof after emerging from fluid contained in the same and means for supplying material to the said units while moving over the tank. a

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY E. KIER.

Witnesses:

H. H. LYONS, F. B. ORGAN.

the said units while moving over and through 

